scholarly journals Basic fibroblast growth factor stimulates the sustained proliferation of mouse epidermal melanoblasts in a serum-free medium in the presence of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and keratinocytes

Development ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Hirobe
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Serum Free Medium ◽  
Free Medium ◽  
Serum Free ◽  
Proliferation And Differentiation ◽  
Mammalian Skin ◽  
Two Factors

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulated the sustained proliferation of mouse epidermal melanoblasts derived from epidermal cell suspensions in a serum-free medium supplemented with dibutyryl adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP). The melanoblasts could be subcultured in the serum-free medium supplemented with the two factors in the presence of keratinocytes, but not in the absence of keratinocytes. In these conditions, some melanoblasts proliferated without differentiating for more than 20 days including a subculture. This is the first report of a successful culture of melanoblasts from mammalian skin. This culture system is expected to clarify further markers for melanoblasts and requirements for their proliferation and differentiation.

scholarly journals Differential induction of gene expression by basic fibroblast growth factor and neuroD in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells

2000 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
RUN-TAO YAN ◽  
SHU-ZHEN WANG
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Retinal Pigment Epithelial ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Rpe Cells ◽  
Pigment Epithelial ◽  
Two Factors

Embryonic chick retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells can undergo transdifferentiation upon appropriate stimulation. For example, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) induces intact RPE tissue younger than embryonic day 4.5 (E4.5) to transdifferentiate into a neural retina. NeuroD, a gene encoding a basic helix-loop–helix transcription factor, triggers de novo production of cells that resemble young photoreceptor cells morphologically and express general neuron markers (HNK-1/N-CAM and MAP2) and a photoreceptor-specific marker (visinin) from cell cultures of dissociated E6 RPE (Yan & Wang, 1998). The present study examined whether bFGF will lead to the same transdifferentiation phenomenon as neuroD when applied to dissociated, cultured E6 RPE cells, and whether interplay exists between the two factors under the culture conditions. Dissociated E6 RPE cells were cultured in the presence or absence of bFGF, and with or without the addition of retrovirus expressing neuroD. Gene expression was analyzed with immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. Unlike neuroD, bFGF did not induce the expression of visinin, or HNK-1/N-CAM and MAP2. However, bFGF elicited the expression of RA4 immunogenicity; yet, many of these RA4-positive cells lacked a neuronal morphology. Addition of bFGF to neuroD-expressing cultures did not alter the number of visinin-expressing cells; misexpression of neuroD in bFGF-treated cultures did not change the number of RA4-positive cells, suggesting the absence of interference or synergistic interaction between the two factors. Our data indicated that bFGF and neuroD induced the expression of different genes in cultured RPE cells.

Processing, secretion, and biological properties of a novel growth factor of the fibroblast growth factor family with oncogenic potential

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 2933-2941
Author(s):  
P Delli-Bovi ◽  
A M Curatola ◽  
K M Newman ◽  
Y Sato ◽  
D Moscatelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Kaposi Sarcoma ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Serum Free Medium ◽  
Free Medium ◽  
Serum Free ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Nih 3T3

We recently reported that the protein encoded in a novel human oncogene isolated from Kaposi sarcoma DNA was a growth factor with significant homology to basic and acidic fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). To study the properties of this growth factor (referred to as K-FGF) and the mechanism by which the K-fgf oncogene transforms cells, we have studied the production and processing of K-FGF in COS-1 cells transfected with a plasmid encoding the K-fgf cDNA. The results show that, unlike basic and acidic FGFs, the K-FGF protein is cleaved after a signal peptide, glycosylated, and efficiently secreted as a mature protein of 176 or 175 amino acids. Inhibition of glycosylation impaired secretion, and the stability of the secreted K-FGF was greatly enhanced by the presence of heparin in the cultured medium. We have used the conditioned medium from transfected COS-1 cells to test K-FGF biological activity. Similar to basic FGF, the K-FGF protein was mitogenic for fibroblasts and endothelial cells and induced the growth of NIH 3T3 mouse cells in serum-free medium. Accordingly, K-fgf-transformed NIH 3T3 cells grew in serum-free medium, consistent with an autocrine mechanism of growth. We have also expressed the protein encoded in the K-fgf protooncogene in COS-1 cells, and it was indistinguishable in its molecular weight, glycosylation, secretion, and biological activity from K-FGF. Taken together, these results suggest that the mechanism of activation of this oncogene is due to overexpression rather than to mutations in the coding sequences.

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